Vessel-hull.



' VESSEL HULL.- W APPLIOATLOH FILED m3 6, 1902.

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"No. 735,637. PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

H. N. WHITTELSBY.

VESSEL HULL AVPPLIOATIDN FILED JUNE 6, 1902.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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: WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

N0 MODEL.

PATENTEID AUG. 4, 190a.

H. N. WHITTELSEY. Y I

VESSEL HULL.

APPLIOATION PILIiD mm: e, 1902.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES III [/5 N TDR If. mwrra s0;

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No. 735,637. I PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903. H. N. WHITTELSEY.

VESSEL HULL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 6, 1902. N0 MODEL. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

WITNESSES: v INVENTOH 4 TTTQRMEY.

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No. 73 5,637. I UNITED STATES I PatentedAugust 4, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

IIENRYNEWTON WII'ITTELSEY, or OAMDENQ EW JERSEY.

VESSEL-HULL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 135,637, dated August Application filed June 6, 1902. Serial No. 110,530. (No model.)

To all whontit may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY NEWTON VVHIT- TE'LSEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city ofp'Camden, in the county of Camden, State of New Jersey, have inven ted certain new and useful Improvements in Vessol-Hulls, of which the following is a specification. v

In the constructio'n'of vessel hulls of steel or iron, as the same have been hitherto built,

the extensive area of curved surface existing in such structures has, made it necessary to employ a large number of variously shaped frame members and plates, the cost of working which, it beingnecessary to. have them heated and specially bent inapplying them to the structure, has been very considerable, and occasioned corresponding increasein the cost ofconstruction I It i the prime object of my'inven'tion to produce avmetal hull equal in all essential such structural shapes'of special conformaparticulars to vessel hulls as heretofore in use, but of reduced costjand Icarry' my in vention into eifect by providing-a vessel-the frame ofwhich isin part or altogether composed of straight or approximately straight steel or iron structural shapes not specially bent, but assembled in the framing as they maybe obtained direct from the mills without' reheating, 'and is, to enable the use of tion, as hereinafterfully setforth.

I further carry my invention 'into efiect by the employment-ofsteel or iron shell plate lying flat or approximately flat in transverse section, on the framing as above described, and thus use the shell plate material as it is received direct from the mills without rerolling to a special form, all as hereinafter fully set forth,

Vessel hulls made in accordance with my invention, and which, obviously, may be built at very much less cost than steel oriron hulls of the character heretoforein use, may be boats.

employed as either sailing or engine-driven vessels, or barges, and as freight or passenger In a vessel constructed in accordance with my invention, the quantity of material used on its top sides and outer halves of the deck will be greatly reduced, thus further saving the cost of construction and lessening the weight which, of course, involves a proportionate increase in load or carrying capacity, or an increase in speed with given power.

A vessel hull embodying my-invention will be especially advantageous in carrying cargoesof grain, coal, oil,or such other commodities as are carried in bulk, and more or less liable to shift in the movements of the vessel. 1

In the accompanying drawings I show, and

heroin I describe, a vessel frame or hull embodying my invention. Such drawing and description, however, set forth only the general features of construction and arrangement. It is to be understood that any preferred arrangement of internal construction may be resorted to in connection with my invention, and that the invention relates broadly to general features of construction I and arrangement of the framing and skin rather than to details which may, of course,

forward portion of a hull embodying my invention.

Figure III is a plan View of the forward portion of ahalf hull embodying my'invention.

Figure IV is a view,from the rear, of a half hull embodying my invention.

Figure V is a view in side elevation of the after portion ofa hull embodying my invention.

Figure VI is a plan view of the after por- -.tion of a half hull embodying my invention.

. Figure VII is a transverse sectional elevation, amidship, of a hull embodying my invention.

Figures VIII, IX, X,'and XI, are respec-- tively transverse sectionalelevatio'nal views of the half hull shown in Figures I, II, and

too

2o vessel.

go could be employed.

III, 'section being supposed on the dotted lines 8, 9, 10, and 11, of Figures II and III.

Figures XII, XIII, .XIV, and XV, are respectively transverse sectional elevational 5 views of the half hull embodying my invention shown in Figures 1V, V, and VI, section being supposed on the dotted lines12, 13,14 and 15, of said Figures Vand VI.

Similar letters of reference indicate correl sponding parts.

In the accompanying drawings,

As shown in the construction represented, a, see especially Figure VII, are a series of transversely extending structural shapes,

r hereinafter termed the bottom frame bars,

which, in connection with suitable floor plates and reverse bars atthe top edges of said plates, as clearly shown in said Figure VII, constitutes the framing for the bottom of the The frame bars, at, in the midship portion of the vessel, are in approximately horizontal position,'and, in the vicinity of the respective ends of the structure, incline upwardly from the center line. Thereverse bars throughout the length of the vessel, are

Instead of I bars being in the midship region of the .ves-

sel, arranged preferably in perpendicular 0 position.

Such of the series of side frame bars as exist in. the vicinity of the respective ends of the vessel are somewhat inclined as shown.

0 represents a series of structural shapes,

hereinafter termed bilge frame bars, which extend from the outer' ends of the bottom frame bars a tothe lower ends of the side frame bars I), theconnections between the ends of the bilge frame bars and the adjacent 5o ends of the bottom frame bars and side frame bars, respectively, being made in any preferred manner. The making of such connections is a matter within the skill of any work man versed in the art of building iron structures.

In the m idship region of the vessel the bilge frame bars 0 happen to be arranged at an angle to the horizon which is more acute than the angle to the plane of the horizon atwhich the bilge frame bars in the vicinity of there- 'spective ends of the vessel are placed.

(1 represents a series of structural shapes hereinafter termed back frame bars, which extend from points in the vicinity of the upper ends of the side frame bars I; inwardly and upwardly to a point where they are connected with the trunk side frame bars 6 and also the tie bars f at the base of the trunk.

g are bracket plates, conveniently of approximately triangular form, disposed above the outer ends of theback frame bars, and serving not only to firmly tie said back frame bars to the side frame bars, but also to afiord a support for the plates of the sidedecks h.

The top edges of the bracket plates g are slightly pitched outward. The side decks h afford a convenient place for standing in the handling of lines while the vessel is in harbor, hold the necessary bitts, chocks, &c., and in'them may be formed or provided small hatches, if considered advisable, for fuel or cargo.

The trunk side frame bars e would in an average vessel have a rise of from three to five feet above the back frame bars, and said trunk side frame bars connect at the top with the trunk deck bars 1. The trunk, however, may be entirely omitted and decking thrown across the ties f.

j are the knuckles at the junctions of the 0 bottom frame bars with the bilge'frame bars;. k are the knuckles at the junctions of the bilge frame bars with the side frame bars; m

.are the knuckles at the jnnctionsof the side frame bars with the side deck and back 5 frame bars; 12. are the knuckles at the junctions of the side decks with the intermediate portions of the back frame bars; 0 are the knuckles at the junction of the inner ends of the back frame bars with the trunk side frame bars and the tie bars f and p are the knuckles'at the junctions of the trunk side frame bars with the trunk deck frame bars i.

The foregoing description sets forth the main arrangements of the framing amidships and for a region extending fore and aft for a large length of the vessel.

The lay of framing in transverse sectional elevation is in straight or approximately straight lines from knuckle to knuckle. I employ the term approximately straight, as covering a structural shape of iron or steel, to which has been imparted such slight curvature as may be given to suchshapes of steel or iron while in acold condition,-an object of my invention being the employment of structural shapes without heating them to make them conform to a given pattern.

The structural shapes, as they are termed, may be of any selected sections and dimen- 1'20 sions. Individual frame bars may be made of a single integral bar, or of a plurality of bars, suitably united.

I show in the drawings a system of internal bracing or framing, made up of vertically and horizontally extending bars (1. I make no claim to this system, and any preferred arrangement of internal bracing may be resorted to. The arrangement shown'in Figure VII-wherein the trunk side frame bars e are shown as extensions of certain of the members q is not of the essence of my construction, and said trunk side frame bars when employed may be placed in any desired arrangement and supported on any desired internal structure. I

From aconsideration of the drawings, it will be understood that, ina vessel embodying my invention in its preferred form, the custom ary convex, concave, and reverse curve constructions of the framing at the bow and stern are dispensed with.

It will be noted in Figures I, II, and III, which show the outline ofconstruc'tion from the midship section or body to the, stem, that all knuckles disappear before striking the stem bar, and itwill beagain noted in Figures IV, V, and VI, which show the outline of construction from the midship section or body to the stern, that all knuckles disappear before striking the stern frame, except the one at the tuck. By the tuck is meant the point in the stern of a vessel, where the framing and plating flare from the stern post to form the upper part of the stern. I

By reference to the Figures I, II, III, IV, V, and VI, which show the outline of construction of the entire vessel, it will be seen that the lower portion of the midship section construction up to the knuckles g extends fore and aft without material change, and merges into the constructionat the bow and stern in fair longitudinal lines. By reference to the same figures it will be seen' that the upper portion of the construction of the midship section, from the knucklesg to the trunk, and which includes the side deck and the inclined back, extends without material change fore and aft, until it intersects so to speak, the bow and stern construct-ion, forming the knuckles 1', s, Figure II, and t, a, Figure V.

The poop 'v, bridge-houses u, and forecastle 5r, may be and are shown as constructed of the same widthas the trunk and constituting oontinuations of-it. The construction of the forecastle is shown in Figures VIII, IX, X, and XI, and the construction of the poop is shown in Figures XII,'XIII, XIV, and XV.

The construction of the stern above water is shown by Figures XII, XIII, XIV, and XV, and'the outline of construction Figures IV, V, and VI, would have generally the characteristic of being pointed on the deck line aft, instead of round and the further characteristic of not having the overhang behind the sternpost, which is usual in vessels built for the hereinbefore named purposes, but it is understood that I may build the stern above water in anypreferred manner. I

In the construction of a vessel according to this invention, the knuckles may, of course, be either angular or rounded in section.

In the construction of a vessel according to this invention, intended for oil or liquid cargo, the customary method of substituting a centor-line fore andaft bulkhead for the centerline fore and aftline of stanchions would be resorted to. It is also noted that the vessel maybe constructed with the ordinary inner or double bottom or not, according to requirements, without affecting the spirit of this invention. The drawing happens to illustrate a single and nota double bottom construction.

The engine and boiler rooms and fuel bunkers in these vessels when intended to have steam power maybe in the stern behind the cargo space or amidships. The officers"and crews quarters, passengers cabins may be forward, amidships or aft according to circu mstances. i

In a frame made up of approximately straight structural shapes arranged without heating in transversely extending courses,- in connection, of course, with suitable longitudinally extending frame members 1 arranged in any desired relation to the said transversely extending straight structural shapes,-inheres very great and important economic advantages in the construction of the frame itself. Incident to such construction is the further very great and important advantage that the shell plate 2; applied to said frame, may be applied in the form in which it is received from the mills, except for such straightening out of buckles as may be necessary at the yard.

The skin of the vessel is in fact made up of longitudinally extending steel or iron plates termed shell plate 2, which may be applied in the overlapped arrangement indicatedin the drawings, and riveted to the frame in any desired manner. It will be found advantageous to so apply the metal plates that their lon gitudinally extending lapsdo not coincide with the knuckles or joints at the meeting ends of the transversely extending frame bars, so that each knuckle may be covered or protected by the body of ametal plate.

' As will be understood from a comparison of Figures VII with Figures I, II, III, VIII, IX, X, and XI, the bottom frame bars become successively shorter in the region of the bow of the vessel, and the respective ends or halves thereof assume an upwardly extending angular position so that when the region in the vicinity of the section line!) (Figure II) is reached, said bottomframe bars may be made as integral continuations of the bilge frame bars, and said bilge frame bars as integral continuations of the side frame'bars, said bottom frame bars, bilge frame bars and side framebarsat a point close to the bow being arranged in an approximately straight continuous line at an angle of about twenty degrees from thevertical.

From a comparison of Figure VII with Figures IV, V, VI, XII, XIII, XIV, and XV, it

will be seen that in the stern portion of the vessel, the inclination of the side frame bars, bilge frame bars, and the respective ends of the bottom frame bars is such that an end of a bottom frame bar and a bilge fratne bar, at the section line 13, are so nearly in line with each other and with a side frame bar that all three of said members may be formed as a single integral bar, the side frame bar and lodge.

the bilge bar forming, however, a concavity owing to the overhanging of the side frame bar, said concavity becoming more marked at the section line 14, while at the section line 15, the bottom frame bars have reached the vanishing point.

The exterior faces 'of the series of side frame bars, of the series of bilge frame bars, and of the series of back frame bars, and of the bottom frame bars, are throughoutt-he main body ofthe vessel arranged so that each series is 'at an angle with respect to the adjacent se- 'but little change in the relation of one panel to another, except at'points at the bow and stern where the special bow and stern construction illustrated in the drawings may be resorted to.

It will be seen that while the vessel constructed. in accordance with this invention has the advantage of'a seaworthy bow and stern ithas also the advantage of having none of the usual decks upon which water would Its unusual structural plating allows an increase in strength and a large reduction in the quantity of material used.

The vessel as above described is intended to be constructed of steel, or iron, and built for a steam or sail vessel or barge for the particular purpose of carrying cargo or passengers.

When in the claims I refer to vessels of iron or steel, I refer to vessels the frame bars and shell plate of which are formed of iron or steel or their alloys, and when I refer to the frame bars, I intend such term to cover-beamlike or bar-like structures of iron or steel, or their alloys, straight or approximately straight, of the character termed in the art structural shapes.

Having thus described my invention, I claim j 1. An iron or steel vessel hull, embodying a series of transversely extending bottom frame bars, a series of side frame bars, the lower ends of which latter exist a considerable distance above the bottom frame bars, a

series of bilge frame bars formed separately from and extending from the bottom frame bars to the side frame bars, the bottom-frame proximately straight approximately vertical side frame bars,-a series of transversely extending bottom frame bars, and a series of straight or approximately straight bilge bars formed separately from and arranged between saidside frame bars and said bottom frame bars, and arranged at an angle to both, and shell plate applied to the exteriors of said bars.

' 3. Asteel or iron vessel hull embodying in the construction of its body portion a series of approximately vertical side frame bars, a series of inclined back frame bars, and side deck brackets, said side bars and back frame bars consisting of straight or approximately straight structural shapes formed separately but connected together by suitable means, substantially as set forth.

4. In a steel or iron vessel hull,in combination, two series of vertically disposed side bars, two series of back frame bars, said back frame bars terminating at the outer ends below the upper ends of the side bars, suitable supports for the inner ends of said back frame bars, said back frame bars and said side frame bars consisting of structural shapes, and metal covering plates applied to said bars.

5. In a steel or iron vessel hull, in combination, two series of vertically disposed side frame bars, two'series of back frame bars,

said back frame bars terminating at the outer ends in the vicinity of the upper ends of the side bars, suitable supports for the inner ends of said back frame bars, the inner ends of the back frame bars being considerably above their outer ends, metal plates applied to said side frame bars and to said back frame bars, a portion of the covering formed by said metal plates, extending over the outer ends of the back frame bars being arranged in approximately horizontal position to form a side deck.

6. A steel or iron vessel hull the body portion of whichjs made up or composed of the bottom, bilge, and side panels, each panel being composed of a series of transversely extending approximately straight structural shapes, the shapes of each series being formed separately from the'bars of the adjacent series and united thereto by suitable means, and metal shell plates applied to all said shapes.

7. A steel or iron vessel hull the middle body of which is made up of the bottom, bilge, and side panels, united with any suit-able longitudinally extending frame members, each of such panels being composed of a series of straight or approximately straight structural Y 6. Asteel or iron vessel hullthe middleportion of which comprises the bottom,bilge, side, and back frame, panels, each panel being composed ofa series of transversely extending structural shapes, the members of each series being formed separately from and suitably united to but arranged at an angle with reference to the shapes of the adjoiningseries, suitable longitudinally extending frame members connected with said tranversely extending members and metal shell plates applied to the exterior of said transversely extending shapes.

9. Asteel or iron vessel, the respective sides of which at the how are straight or approxi mately straight in transverse section and are inclined to eachother in approximately V- shaped relationand which, to the rear of the stem bar and forward of the midship region,

are each composed of a series of panelsflatin transverse section and having knuckles at their junctions, which panels merge into the midshipsection of the vessel. i

10. A steel or iron vessel, the respective sides of which at the stern are straight or approximately straightin transverse section and are inclined to each other in approximately V- shaped relationand which, forward but in the region of the stern frame, are each com posed,

of a series of panels fiat in transverse section and havingkn uckles at their junctions, which.

panels merge into the midship section of the vessel.

11. A steel or iron vessel hull, embodying in its construction a series of sideframe bars, consisting of straight or approximately straig t structural shapes, a series of back frame bars, consisting of straightor approxi- .mately straight structural shapes and arranged at. an obtuse angle to the side frame bars first mentioned and with their outer ends below the upper ends of said side frame bars, connecting devices for the adjacent ends of said side frame bars and back frame bars,

and extending above the level of the outer ends of said back frame bars, and shell plate applied to the exteriors of said side frame bars and back frame bars, following the con-' tour of the said side frame bars and the contour of the upper and inner portions of the back frame bars, but in the region of the outer ends ofthe back frame bars extending v in an approximately horizontal plane to form a side deck. t

' A'steelor iron vessel hull, embodying in its construction a series of side frame bars, consisting of straight or approximately straight. structural shapes, a series ofback frame bars, consisting of straight or approxij mately straight structural shapes and arranged at an obtuse angle to the side frame bars first mentioned and with their outer ends below the upper ends of said side frame bars, bracket I plates connected to the adjacent ends of said side frame bars and back frame bars, and extending above the level of theouter ends of said back frame bars, and,

shell plate applied tothe' exteriors ofsaid side frame bars and back frame bars following the contour of the said'side frame bars and the contour of the upper and inner portions of the back frame bars, but in the region of the outer ends of the back frame bars extend- 'ing in an approximately horizontal plane to form a sidedeck, said bracket plates forming a support for the shell plate which constitutes frame bars, said'bars each consisting of a transversely extending straight or approximately straightstructural'shape, the bars of each series being at an angle with respect to the bars of the two adjacent series, knuckles being formed at the junction of the bars of each series with the bars of the adjacent series, metal shell plate applied to the exterior of all ofsaid series of frame bars, and longitudinally extending frame bars combined and arranged in any desired, manner with said transversely extending frame bars,. substantially as set forth.

14. A steel or iron vessel, the respective sides of which in transverse section at the how, are straight or approximately straight and inclined to each other in approximately \L-shaped relation, and which to the rear of the stem bar and forward of themidship region in transverse section are made up of series of flat panels having knuckles at their junctions, which panels mergeinto the midshipsectionof the vessel, said panels each consisting of a series of structural shapesat right angles to the longitudinal axis of the vessel andcovered by shell plate.

t 15. A steel or iron vessel, the respective sides of which in transverse section at the bow, are straight or approximately straight and inclined to each other in an approximately V-shaped relation, and which, to the rear of the stem bar and forward of the midship region in transverse section, are made up of series of fiat panels having knuckles at their junctions, which panels merge into the midshi p section of the vessel, said panels each consisting of a series of structural shapes covered by-shell plate. I

16. A steel or iron vessel the respective sidesof which in transverse section at the stern, are straight or approximately straight and inclined to each other in approximately V-shaped relation and each of which forward of but in the region of the stern frame'in transverse section is composed of a seriesof fiat'panels having knuckles at their junctions, which panels merge into the midship portion of the vessel, said panels being each composed of a series of straight or approxi mately straight structural shapes extending transversely of the longitudinal axis of the vessel and covered by shell plate,

17. A steel or iron vessel hull the middle portion of which comprises the bottom, bilge, side, and back frame, panels, each panel being composed of a series of transversely eX- tending structural shapes, the members of each series being formed separately from and suitably united to but arranged at an angle with reference to the shapes of the adjoining series, suitable longitudinally extending frame members connected with said transversely extending members and metal shell plates applied to the exterior of said transversely extending shapes, said shell plates forming side (leeks in the region of the outer ends of the back frame bars, and suitable supports for said side decks.

' 18. A steel-or iron vessel the lower portion of the midship region of which is composed of transversely extending frame bars or members formed of straight or approximately straight structural shapes, metal shell plate applied thereto, said frame bars being arranged in independent series, the members of each series being formed separately from and arranged at an angle with respect to the members of an adjacent series, certain of said members being arranged to form the bottom of the vessel certain of them to form the sides of the vessel, and certain of them to form the bilge of the vessel intermediate of the bottom and sides.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have hereunto'signed my name this 3d day of June, A. D. 1902.

HENRY NEWTON WlllT'lEliSEl'.

In presence of S. SALOME BRooKE, THos. K. LANCASTER. 

